History of Friedrich the Second Called Frederick the Great - Vol. 2

History of Friedrich the Second Called Frederick the Great - Vol. 2

Excerpt

Letters to Wilhelmina, which exist in great numbers," from these we had hoped elucidation; but these the learned Editor has "wholly withheld as useless" for the present. Let them be carefully preserved, on the chance of somebody's arising to whom they may have uses!

The worst feature of these years is Friedrich Wilhelm's discontent with them. A Crown-Prince sadly out of favor with Papa. This has long been on the growing hand; and these Double Marriage troubles, not to mention again the newfangled French tendencies (Blitz Franzosen!), much aggravate the matter, and accelerate its rate of growth. Already the paternal countenance does not shine upon him; flames often, and thunders, to a shocking degree; and worse days are coming.

CHAPTER II.DEATH OF GEORGE I.

GIBRALTAR still keeps sputtering; ardent, ineffectual bombardment from the one side, sulky, heavy blast of response now and then from the other; but the fire does not spread; nor will, we may hope. It is true, Sweden and Denmark have joined the Treaty of Hanover this spring, and have troops on foot, and money paid them; but George is pacific, Gibraltar is impregnable: let the Spaniards spend their powder there.

As for the Kaiser, he is dreadfully poor; inapt for battle himself. And in the end of this same May, 1727, we hear, his principal ally, Czarina Catharine, has died: poor brown little woman, Lithuanian housemaid, Russian Autocrat, it is now all one; dead she, and can do nothing. Probably the Kaiser will sit still? The Kaiser sits still, with eyes bent on Gibraltar, or rolling in grand Imperial inquiry and anxiety round the world; war outlooks much dimmed for him since the end of May.

Alas! in the end of June, what far other Job's post is this that reaches Berlin and Queen Sophie? That George I., her royal Father, has suddenly sunk dead! With the Solstice, or summer Pause of the Sun, 21st or 22d of June, almost uncertain . . .